PROJECT IDEA

“Walter” was the alias of a myth-enshrouded resistance fighter in Sarajevo, whose identity the Nazi occupiers were unable to find out. In our project, the question “Wer ist Walter?” is symbolic of the observation that we in Europe often know little to nothing about the history(s) of resistance to Nazism and Nazi occupation during World War Two in other European countries.

With this project, we want to strengthen the exchange and knowledge about resistance to Nazism in Europe and how it has been dealt with since 1945. The differences and similarities in the history and memory of resistance to Nazism in Europe will be examined on the basis of four countries: Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, France and Germany.

Concerning the reception of the resistance against the Nazi regime from 1945 to the present day, the project focuses on two dimensions: the historical research on the topic and its presentation in museums. The content will be developed with a team of historians and curators from the four countries in four workshops and three conferences. At the end of the project there will be three complementary outputs: a scientific publication, an educational online portal and an exhibition in the History Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The project is organized by crossborder factory (Berlin/ Germany), the History Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Sarajevo), the Centre international de formation eruopéene (CIFE) (Nizza/France), and the Jasenovc Memorial Site (Croatia). It is funded by the Foundation “Remembrance, Responsability and Future” (EVZ) in the frame of its program “Education Agenda NS Injustice”.

PROJECT OBJECTIVES

  1. To promote knowledge and reflection on the history of resistance to Nazism in Europe and on its reception, as a contribution to strengthening a European culture of remembrance. We understand the latter as an interactive space that raises questions, questions demonisations and glorifications, takes complexities into account and addresses both the diversity of resistance forms and memories as well as parallels and general tendencies.
  2. To contribute to the integration of the (post-)Yugoslav space as a full and active part of a European culture of remembrance, which seems all the more important to us as this space is often neglected in European history and memory work.
  3. To support European networks in historical-political education and research, through cooperation between researchers, curators and educational institutions from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Germany and France.

TIMELINE

12-13 September 2022, Berlin (D)

Meeting of the Project Team

22-23 October 2022, Sarajevo (BiH)

1st workshop with the Project Team and the Expert Team

15-16 May 2023, Berlin (D)

1st conference “History and historiography of resistance in BiH, HR, D and F”

08-09 July 2023, Nizza (F)

2nd workshop with Project Team and Expert Team

02-03 October 2023, Nizza (F)

2nd conference “Resistance in museums and memorials in BiH, HR, D and F, 1945 to today”

02-03 December 2023, Jasenovac (HR)

3rd workshop with Project Team and Expert Team

04-05 May 2024, Berlin (D)

4th workshop with Project Team and Expert Team

04-05 July 2024, Sarajevo (BiH)

3rd conference, including opening exhibition, launch portal and presentation academic publication

OUTPUTS

The project will lead to the production of three complementary outputs, which will be developed with the support of the expert team. All project results will be presented at the final conference in July 2024 in Sarajevo.

Academic Publication
An academic publication with contributions on the history of resistance to Nazism and NS occupation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, France and Germany,  and on the dealing with it between 1945 and today, especially in Museums and Memorials. The chapters will be written by members of the project team and by authors selected through an open call.

Digital Platform
A multilingual digital platform will be published with 100 examples of persons, groups, events etc., related to the resistance against NS in the four countries, as well as pedagogical guidelines on how to deal with these stories.

Exhibition at the History Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina 
This exhibition at the History Museum of BiH in Sarajevo will deal with the resistance to Nazi occupation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and its reception after 1945, embedded in the European context with comparisons to history and memory from Croatia, France and Germany.